The Asian Winehunter

First off, a Happy New Year and good health to all. It has been a busy past year and unfortunately this has led to a slowdown in new posts lately. This year we start of with a new look and hopefully try to write more about wine and also it's natural partner - food. Besides, would you trust the advice of someone in wine if they couldn't tell chicken from pork?!! Stay tuned.

Marriages - What works When was the last time a bunch of wine geeks got together with fabulous wine and the food just didn't quite go well. Sometimes we have fabulous food and it's just missing that wine to "complete" the evening. Food and wine pairing is an art - a marriage. When it works the sum is greater than the parts - that's a promise. Without some knowledge and experience both in wine and food - it's hard to pull this off. The other day we bumped into some very nice combinations with friends and thought it might be worth mentioning here. Shanghai hairy crab & Old vintage Champagne Every autumn between October and November, hairy crabs from Hangzhou are the rage among Chinese with it's sweet meat and abundant crab "miso". In it's purest form the crab is poached/boiled as is and accompanied by a special vinegar with ginger pulp in it. Well if that vinegar and ginger sauce goes well with the crab why not...... a mature vintage cham...

We only spent one night in Rome and that was the gastronomic low point of the trip. Thinking we couldn't go wrong by picking the most crowded joint in the vicinity.... oops bad luck. We just could not understand why there were so many people. Maybe they served the leftovers to the tourists? The fish was stale and the lamb was pretty sad as well. Sub-standard food, expensive and mediocre service ( restaurant pictured below). One of the best places in terms of food was in the town of Lucca. Over lunch we went to this lovely little place called "Canuleia". The fresh vegetable salad with burrata cheese was lovely. Being quite creamy on the inside, the cheese liquids gets mixed up with the olive oil and vegetables outside resulting in a lovely dressing - I'm sure it was deliberate. Last but not least, a lovely wine from Tenuta Campo di Sasso called Insiglio . You may not have heard of this outfit but this is where Lodovico Antinori went when his beloved Ornelia was sold. ...

The wine hunter is back!!! Instead of hitting the booze immediately, let's go back in time for some history lessons.....3 Stories and 3 wines. In 1395, Philip the Bold, the duke of Burgundy decreed that the gamay vine was to be uprooted within 30 days or be slapped with a fine. It was decided that gamay was not well suited to the best qualities of wine, instead the Pinot Noir grape was recommended. 100+years later, Louix XI annexed Burgundy and the prior of Saint-Vivant had to file tax returns and declare his properties. 'Le Cloux de Saint Vivant' included 4 'clos' or walled parts. This included Le Cloux des Cinq Journaux. Around 1662, this Clos together with an adjacent plot of three ouvrees was renamed "La Romanee". In early 1700's the going rate for a good vineyard was 200 livre per ouvree.... Using some accounting sleight of hand this amounts to roughly US$13k per acre. On the faithful day of July 18, 1760, "La Romanee" was purchased f...

2001 - Balthasar Ress. Hattenheimer Nussbrunner - Auslesse . Center stage of primary fruit aromas starting to move back a little to reveal petrol and slight flinty. Viscous, with lively acidity, perhaps doesn't have the concentration in the back end and finish to put it up there with the best of the best. However, it's more than adequate as an enjoyable summer drink. Alright this may be a bit sacreligious but why not. Wish I had some langoustines and scallops on the grill. 92(+)pts. Perhaps in a few more years ( 5-10) it may deserve a slightly higher rating. 1997 Henri Gouge - Nuit st. George - "Le Saint George" On the nose promising notes of red fruits and typical pinot noir aromas. That was the best part. In the mouth it was angular, sand-paperishly tannic and well "unrefined". Okay no problem you would say we can give it more airtime to smooth things out. Well that would be nice if it had some concentration and this being 1997. It was not to be. 84pts. 20...

2002 Bonneau du Martray - Corton Charlemagne. Impenetrable upon opening. Keep cool and air for at least 3 hours. Massive, elegant acidity - citrus notes, power and concentration without the weight. This will need 10 years to show its stuff. 93 points 2002 Louis Jadot - Corton Charlemagne Lively acidity upon opening - powerful. Like the BdM needs air time to open up ( ~4 hours in bottle). As mentioned before acidity is high keyed, nice "punch" and like the other CC should not be served freezing cold ( please folks this is not a Chablis - even some Chablis shouldn't be served that way). Probably one of the better vintages in recent times but.... just doesn't seem to have as much going as the BdM above (to me less concentrated) - just a guess but possibly harvested at higher yields? 91 points.

In this day and age we all lament at how expensive wines have become. The days where one can easily find "good and cheap" wines are gone. Back not too long ago, it was "show me what you've got and then I'll decide how much it's worth" - the consumer was boss. The tables have now turned Ladies and gentlemen. Nowadays its "pay first and then let's see...." Too often we pay up and don't see anything. As long as we can't turn back the clock - the only other way is to be better informed. Comte Lafon of Mersault rightfully deserves its place in the highest ranks of white Burgundy makers. Some of their usual offerings have become frightfully expensive in the last few years. Well here's the scoop - there is a cheaper Lafon. Since 1999 Lafon has conducted an operation in Macon delivering high quality and good value white wines called Heritiers Des Comte Lafon. Situated in the Macon , the property covers around 35 acres and produces 6...

We got to try the following wines on the weekend. Missing at dinner was the '61 DRC Richebourg which was opened ahead of the weekend. In it's place was '94 Bouchard La Romanee 1994 La Romanee ( Bouchard). Yuch - corked!. Bad bottle - just not pleasant. First up : 1969 Leroy Mersault Charmes. For a 37 year old wine it had amazing livelyness and acidity. Charming however a bit short on the finish and aftertaste. 89 points 1996 Jacques Prieur Mersault Perrieres. For a 10 year old wine surprisingly advanced for its age - color was starting to come on golden, nuts and slight truffel & honied smells coming through. Fine condition with admirable acidity. It had just a few more elements than the Leroy Charmes, bit more power, longer aftertaste. Suspect it needs 1.5 hours to open and can age a few more years ( 3-5) but is drinking well now. 91 points 1999 Comte Lafon Mersault Charmes Just a baby. Very high and lively acidity belies the power and concentration underneath....

STAY TUNED .......... (Click on picture to enlarge)

There is a domaine in Chassagne Montrachet which has really been on a roll in recent years (last 6-7). While the reds are fine it is the whites which deserve some attention. Prices are reasonable and relatively "good value" if this was possible in Burgundy. Fontaine-Gagnard was formed in 1985 after the breakup of the Gagnard-Delagrange properties. In size, it is approximately 20 acres. Traditional techniques and organic fertilizers are used. Partial new oak is applied up to and including Grand cru's such as the Criots Batard Monrachet. Not sure about the Batard or Le Monrachet but given the style it would probably exceptional to see 100% new oak ( this isn't Napa or Hunter Valley anyway). Richard Fontaine's portfolio consists of the following ( list of white wines). Chassagne Montrachet Chassagne Montrachet "Clos St.Jean" Chassagne Montrachet "Clos St.Jean - Clos de Murees" ( Monopole) Chassagne Montrachet "Bouriotte" Chassagne Montr...

Completely unrelated to wine but what the heck it was begging to be photographed! 1954-57. Mercedes Benz. 300SL Gullwing. Nuff said . 100 pts An now on to wine........ 1999 Ramonet Batard Montrachet Minerality & acidity with a little punch. However to this mouth, this bottle seemed to lack a little of the vibrancy, power and edge compared to previous bottles. Not showing its best here. 91pts. 1983 Chambolle Musigny - Henri Felettig Hints of dried figs and plums, tea colored, bricking occuring. Would say, it went very well with one of the hard cheeses. 87pts. 1983 Nuit Saint George - Clos De Forrets St. Georges / Cuvee Hors Ligne - Jules Belin More closed on the nose, spicy, anise seeds. In the mouth coarser tannins than the previous Chambolle but a better finish (to me). Didn't not go well with the cheese but surprisingly well with salami.86pts. 1999 Michel Magnien Morey St. Denis 1er Le Chaffots Not much on opening. Upon tasting in fact it seemed like it was about to go downh...

We try some more Burgundies to drown out those expensive '05 Bordeaux en primuer blues!! 1999 Marc Colin Chassagne Monrachet 1er Cru "Les Caillerets" Upon opening, strong burst of sweet oak from the bottle. After 15-20 minutes this seem to balance out and one could smell the acidity coming through. Some bottle age evident - not so primary, well balanced, fresh, good acidity, nice finish - perhaps not enough minerality. 90pts. 2002 Dominique Laurent Gevrey-Chambertin. 1er Cru Petite Chapelle Charming nose, but frankly very disappointed at the concentration on the palate. Almost as if it was diluted - bad bottle, high yields ?? Who knows - This is atypically pathetic showing for an '02 especially a 1er cru. Will blame it on a bad bottle. 87pts. 2002 Denis Mortet Gevrey Chambertin. Combe du Dessus Completely opposite from the Laurent. On the nose much more concentration and power. Red fruits, earthy, good acidity. On the palate multi-layered, fine tannins and just so mu...

We had a chance to try some of the wines from this famous St. Emillion Garagiste during a dinner. Here are some notes from that night. 2001 Ch. La Dominique - St. Emillion This property is just next to Cheval Blanc so it should be capable of better things in the future. Right now it is just in the drifting in the middle - not bad but not really a standout. Starting in 2005, Thunevin is going to have his hands in this so it would be interesting to taste the results. The '01 has a medium body, fruit forward although not in abundance, tanins which are okay but not really that refined - I didn't like the slight green/vegetal tinge ( just my personal prefs.) 88 points. 2004 Valandraud Blanc #2 The first vintage was in 2003 and is now overseen by his wife which used to be with Domain Leflaive; this is a typical 50/50 blend of Sauvignon Blanc & Semillion blend. In reality, this is the 2nd wine of Valandraud blanc. Aromas are sharp, acidic, greenish. In the mouth pretty much the sa...

Some weekend tasting notes and notes on more corkscrews. 1997- Tenuta Ornellia. IGT When this was first released years ago, I was perplexed about the incredibly high ratings bestowed upon it. Deferred judgement and finally tried it again. Is it very good? - yes! Is it oh my god amazingly good? - well that would be overdoing it. Hints of cassis, fruits, gaining complexity with age, some hints of tobacco, fine, smooth tannins and long finish with a slight minty touch. Right now, I would say it takes perhaps 1-1.5 hours opened and aired in bottle ( with a little air gap). Decantage may cut this time in half. One caveat ( to this mouth ) was it tasted better in more modest wine glasses. When switched to the more massive Bordeaux glasses, it seemed to get gnarled up a little. Perhaps it was the extra air or maybe it was later in the night?? Either way - good and ready now, might get slightly better in a couple of years but suspect the peak/plateau is inside of 5 years and should stay there...

2003 Pichon Baron - Pauillac. Green peppers & Cassis,but to a certain extent possibly overcooked?Slightly alcoholic whiffs which blow off later - overall pleasing nose with some impact. On the palate however, it just doesn't come across as well even slightly light/thin in relation to the first impression from the nose . To me, the wine seemed a little disjointed and could have been due to the fact that we opened it a just few days after it arrived (~US$75-85). 92+? pts 2003 Lynch Bages - Pauillac. Again that slightly overcooked Cassis & green pepperish smell. This one doesn't blow off with time and seems to be quite present - to the overall detriment of other elements. Huge lashing of tannins - folks this is not close to the 2000 by a mile(~US$48-50). 88points. 2003 Leoville Barton - St. Julien. Black fruits, green peppers(slight) - at first has a little hint of the smells from the previous 2 bottles but a) goes away with time b) is not an overpowering factor and adds...

Stocks of 2003 Bordeaux are now rolling into cellars and shops at full swing. So far this wine geek has only tasted a handful. Initial tastings have been from Pauillac and St. Julien so far. The results have not been encouraging - I am pretty sure this vintage overall is nowhere close to 2000 - Caveat Emptor!!! While not a comprehensive sample, the wines tasted so far have a disctintive aroma. It's hard to use words but this aromas is a mixture of overstewed/burnt cassis, a hint of tar and blackened capsicum/green pepper - like when you take your eyes of the saute pan for too long. In the better wines, this blows off or becomes very faint enhancing the overall experience. In other instances, it dominates and is a little annoying. In my limited tastings of Pauillacs so far ( no 1st growths yet), I get more worried as it seems, the core of the wine seems a bit diluted/thin especially in mid-palate (Pichon Baron and Lynch Bages) - this fills out a little with time as the tannins make...

Over the years, by trial and error one usually goes through quite a few corkscrews. Some are just horrible but others have worked quite well. If this saves you time, agony and undue trouble then it would have been worth it. This is what works for me and continues do to so. Screwpulls This brand from france is probably the easiest corkscrew to use and works very well in 95% of the situations. The nice part is it requires very little training or "skill" to successfully open a bottle. Here are my two favorite versions. The "deluxe" version . Guaranteed to wow your friends with the plunge action. Its also one which I find being used less and less because its just too darn big - overkill most of the time. This particular portable version is my favorite portable screwpull - its a 2-piece with a "finger" lever. This provides more leverage than the usual single piece versions which have a smaller handle and effective leverage. The blade in this foil cutter is not...

Domaine Jean Francois Coche Dury is a very small vigneron located in Mersault. While production levels are extremely limited, his reputation is anything but that. The property holdings are about 26 acres. The yields are low with generally high vine age and plot density. The methods are about as traditional and "old-fashioned" as one can get. Careful selection of "Organic" fertilizers (i.e. manure) and avoidance of chemicals are practiced. First and foremost Coche-Dury pays attention in the vineyards whether its plowing, fertilizers, pruning, de-budding etc... The current portfolio includes Corton Charlemagne, Mersault Perrieres, Caillerets, Narvaux, Rougeots, Vireuilts, Chevalieres. There are some reds in Auxey-Duresse, Monthelie and even a 1er Cru Volnay ( ??!!) - the majority is Mersault however. The Coche-Dury Portfolio (not necessarily comprehensive): Corton Charlemagne - Grand Cru Coche-Dury's plot sits in the center of Corton Charlemagne. The soild consist...

Whenever a bunch of Burg nuts get together. The inescapable question is "who are your favorite producers, domaines and negociants". Well here is my short list. It's a bit long but hope it helps. Bernard Dugat-Py is a ‘small’ family operation located in Gevrey Chambertin. This operation’s first vintage was 1989 and produces outstanding examples of what Gevrey Chambertin is capable of. Prior to this, their wines were purchased by negociants for bottling under their own names. Total vineyards cover 8.06 hectares or ~20 acres. Much of these are old vines and therefore produce lower yielding smaller sized fruit berries. This reduces the need for a ‘green harvest’ – a common practice in Burgundy to restrain yields. The domaine essentially adheres to organic farming methods and eschews fertilizers and weed killers. All grapes are manually harvested with complete de-stemming. Wild yeasts are used and wines are neither fined nor filtered. The suggested bottle age by the Domaine ar...